Aerial railway or tramway.



B. HALL.

AERIAL RAILWAY OR TRAMWAYE APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1918.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

B. HALL. AERIAL RAILWAY 0R TRAMWAY.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.1918. 1,295,485. Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEEI' 2- BOBDMAN HALLOF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AERIAL RAILWAY OR TRA'M'WAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed July 2, 1918. Serial No. 243,064.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, BORDMAN HALL, of Brookline, in the county of, Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Railways or Tramways, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to aerial railways or tramways wherein the cars are suspended fromone or more elevated cables or rails, suitable means being provided for driving the cars along said cables or rails.

It has been the usual practice heretofore to support the cars by means of sheaves engaging the upper surface of the cable and connected to the cars by suitable hangers.

'Where sheaves are used, however, it is necessary, of course, that the points of engagement of the cable and its support be out of the path of the sheaves and hangers in order that the latter may pass by such points of engagement. This requires a very cumbersome construction of both the car suspension hangers and the support for the cables; it being necessary to have said hangers arranged on but one side of the cable and the cable support attached to the opposite side of the cable in order to permit a free path for the sheaves on the top surface of thecable. The element of danger of the sheaves leaving the cable or rail is always present in the usual construction.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved means for suspending a tramway car from its cable whereby the latter may be supported centrally of its top surface and whereby the hangers for the car may be arranged in staggered relation to the sides of the cable.

With this and other objects in view the invention primarily consists in a series of star shaped wheels having vertical axes arranged in staggered relation to the sides of the cable and having their under surfaces in sliding engagement with the top surface of the cable,which wheels are mounted upon the upper ends of hangers connected to the car. The construction of the central supporting means for the cable is another feature of the invention and they are provided with rotatable frusto-conical sleeves having vertical axes, which sleeves are intermittently engaged by arms of the star wheels thereby forcing the latter to revolve .sufliciently to pass by said sleeves and still be amply supported by the cable.

In order to relieve the frictional engagement of the star wheels and cable, I provide the car with air planes which are preferably arranged fore and aft thereof.

Another importantfeature of the invention is found in the braking mechanism which has rotatable disks that, when set for braking purposes, cooperate with the star wheels; and also at all times prevent the star wheels fromrising an appreciable distance above the cable. This feature of the invention may be modified so as to be applicable to sheaves securing safety from jumping the cable or track.

. A further feature of the invention is the stabilizing means between the lower ends of the hangers and the car which tends to maintain the floor of the car in a horizontal position.

Other novel features of construction, operation, and combination of parts shall hereinafter be described and pointed out in the claims. v

Figure 1, represents a side elevation of a portion of an aerial railway and a car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, represents a plan view of the same.

'Fig. 3, represents a front view of the same. 1

Fig. 4, represents an enlarged section vie of the cable securing device at the lower end of the hanger 16 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5, represents a side elevation of the cable securing device viewed from line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6, represents a sectional view of the cable securing device viewed from line 6-6, Fig. 4. i

Fig. 7, represents an enlarged side elevation of a pair of star wheels and their hangers.

Fig. 8, represents a plan view of same.

Fig. 9, represents a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Figs. 10 and 11, respectively front and side elevations of my improved braking device as used in connection with the usual sheave of an aerial railway.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

The cable 15 is supported by means of suitably spaced hangers 16 which depend from any suitably arranged polesv or frame work. The lower end of each hanger 16 has the sheet metal strap 18 which is centrally bent about the cable and its vertical arms are secured together by the ferrule 20. The outer surface of said ferrule is cylindrical and and snow by bringing the upper arms thereof against the cable.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an aerial railway, the combination forms a bearing for the rotatable sleeve 2;L of a cable with a car suspended therefrom having its outer surface conical. Said ferrule and sleeve are prevented from moving upwardly by the collar 22and'. pin 19.

The body of the car C is provided fore and aft withthe bails 23, 23, which bails are connected to the transverse bars 24, 24 by the normally vertical links 25. Transverse bars 24 are secured to the lower ends of the hangers 26, 26 which hangers are connected near their upper ends withthe vertical studs 30. The starwheels 31 are suitably journaled' on studs 30 between shoulders 32, 33 on sleeves secured to said stud. The star wheels are each provided-with a series of radial arms, 34, the under surfaces of which are rounded over transversely and their ends are turned upwardly and pointed. The brake disks 35 are mounted to slide vertically and to rotate on the lower portion of the hubs of the star wheels and may be raised and lowered in pairs by anysuitable means, as by the levers; 37, 37 the outer ends of the arms of which engage the under sides of the disks. Said levers may be operated from within the car by means of the vertically sliding rods 39, 39. The top surfaces of the disks are preferably convex. The raising of the disks tend to clamp thecable' between them and the star wheels thereby retarding or stopping the car. The brake disk 35, shown in connection with the usual sheave 4:4 is operated in the same manner through lever 37 The arrangement of the star wheels in staggered relation to the sides of the cable safely retains the car in engagement with the track. The brake disks 35 prevent either pair of star wheels from being raised out of contact with the cable.

The car may be driven by an airpropeller a1 operated by a power plant within the car. I

When the car is being driven, the frictional contact between the star wheels and the cable may be lessened by means of planes as, 43 attached fore and aft to the car. The arrangement of the planes causes them to, apply anequal lifting movement to both ends of the car.

It will be noted that the star wheels and brake disks are free to rotate when the car is in motion and that the star wheels will readily pass the hangers 16.

An emergency brake is shown at 47 which is of scissor'like construction and may be operated within the car (Fig. 1). This brake may-be either utilized for the purpose ofbraking or for clearing the cables of ice through a series of wheels having vertical axes, said wheels engaging the top surface of saidcable.

2. In an aerial railway, the combination of a cable, with a car suspended therefrom through a series of wheels having vertical axes arranged in staggered relationto the.

4. Anaerial railway, comprising a cable,

means including members extending upwardly from the top surface of said cable for supporting said cable, a car suspended from said cable through a series of wheels having their. axes vertical and having radial arms in engagement with said cable.

5. A car for an aerial railway comprising a. car body, with a series of wheels attached thereto having vertical axes and radial arms for engagement with the cable of the aerial railway.

6. An'a'erial railway comprising a cable, means including members extending up-- wardly from the top surface of said cable for supporting said cable, a series of wheels attachedto said car and having their axes vertical, said wheels arranged in staggered relation to the sides of said cable and provided with radially extending arms for engagement with the top surface of said cable, 7 A car for an aerial railway comprising a car body, a series of wheels attached thereto having vertical axes and radial arms for engagement with the cable of the aerial railway, and air planesprojecting fore andaft of the car body.

8. A car for an aerial railway comprising a car body, a series of wheels connected to the top thereof and having vertical axes,

said wheels for engagement with. the cable of the aerial railway, and air planes pro in-g engagement-with the cable ofan aerialv 180 I railway, and rotatable disks constructed and arranged to be moved to cooperate with said wheels to grip the cable.

11. In an aerial railway, the combination of a cable, a car suspended therefrom through star shaped Wheels having vertical axes and arranged on both sides of said cable, a hanger for centrally supporting said cable and provided with a rotatable sleeve thereon adapted to be engaged by the 10 star wheel as the latter passes thereby.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

BORDMAN HALL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

